The Insanely Dangerous, Weirdly Meditative Sport of Freediving

William Trubridge adjusts his googles before attempting a world record dive of 334 feet in the constant weight no-fins discipline. Trubridge was attempting to break his own 2010 record of 331 feet. In just under two minutes he reached his target. However, on his ascension he grabbed the dive line, signaling to safety divers he needed help close to some 65 feet from the surface.

Fish swim around divers as the athletes prepare for their official dives. Divers acclimate in the water, warming up with breathing exercises, stretches and practice descents before their one chance at an official dive a day.

Walid Boudhiaf attempts a Tunisian National record of 347 feet in the Free Immersion Discipline. He reached his target depth and returned to the surface under his own power during the 4:02 dive, but suffered a loss of motor control at the surface, resulting in a disqualification.

Alexey Molchanov descends. He attempted a 288-foot dive as his final chance to win the competition, but he turned early at 278 feet and came in second overall.

Samo Jeranko stands at the edge of Dean’s Blue Hole.

Alexey Molchanov stands on the edge of Dean's Blue Hole after his 311-foot constant weight no-fins dive. He was disqualified for a surface black-out.

Alexey Molchanov stands on the edge of Dean's Blue Hole after his 311-foot constant weight no-fins dive. He was disqualified for a surface black-out.

Share

Imagine holding your breath for three minutes. Now imagine doing it as you dive to depths of 200 feet or more.

This is routine for freedivers, who push their mind and body to extremes as they hold their breath for minutes at a time while descending far below the surface. It is an intense, isolating pursuit, but Logan Mock-Bunting masterfully captures the world's best freedivers with photos that highlight the skill, the adventure and, yes, the insanity, of the sport.

Mock-Bunting traveled to the Bahamas in December for the Vertical Blue. The event draws the world's best divers to the breathtaking Dean's Blue Hole, which plunges some 663 feet. The competition was part of the "constant weight" discipline in which divers descend and rise under their own power, with weights. Some use fins, but many consider freediving without fins the purest form of diving.

At the moment, the record for constant weight dive with fins stands at nearly 420 feet for men and just past 331 feet for women. Mock-Bunting is himself an amateur freediver who can dive to more than 100 feet, but he limits himself to 60 feet when shooting. He shuns scuba gear, because freediving allows him to move more quickly.

“It’s sorta like trying to cover Lance Armstrong while on a bicycle,” Mock-Bunting said. “I can sorta hang for a while but they’re really in a different league.”

The sport is dangerous. Drowning is, of course, always a risk. But there are others. The ocean exerts tremendous pressure on the lungs as divers descend, and some experience "shallow-water blackout" and lose consciousness during the ascent. People do die freediving, but Mock-Bunting says every event he's attended has been closely monitored by safety divers and doctors.

Mock-Bunting uses digital cameras and has two ways of keeping his gear safe. He uses an Ikelite Underwater Housing for a Canon EOS 5D Mark II because it can withstand the pressure of deep dives. He usually shoots with a 15mm fisheye or 24mm macro. If he needs flashes, he’ll use one or two Ikelite Substrobe DS160s. The rig can be bulky when it's sealed in the housing, so if Mock-Bunting isn't worried about the pressure, he'll use an ewa-marine bag/housing instead. “The ewa-marine bag sorta reminds me of a heavy-duty Ziplock bag,” he said.

Shooting underwater is a challenge, but Mock-Bunting enjoys it. He particularly likes the added dimension that water creates. The beautiful colors, in constantly changing shades of blue and green, provide a clean background, and the quality of light and depth of field shifts as you descend.

“It’s literally a different medium shooting underwater,” he said.

Some of Mock-Bunting's most visually striking work captures divers in the midst of competition. But his most compelling images reveal the quiet, intimate moments before the dive. The sport is physically demanding, yes, but it also requires total concentration. “You have to put everything out of your mind and be really present to dive,” he said. “I really love the meditative quality.”